Organizing a Literature Review

A. Scan all articles first by reading the following sections:

1. Abstract
2. First few paragraphs
3. Last paragraph before Methods section (includes research questions, purpose statement,
hypotheses)
4. Discussion section
B. Group/stack articles into categories based on what you’ve scanned:
a. First, by topic
b. Next, by subtopic
c. Next, by chronology within subtopics
C. Construct a literature table:
a. Try to read articles within same category together
b. Begin to note most common overall themes/variables (see mind mapping)*
c. Use these themes as headings in your literature table
d. These themes will then become major elements in your outline
e. These elements will then become headings and subheadings in your literature review.

*Mind Mapping:

1. Write down all ideas that you’ve identified from reading the literature. Don’t worry about how these
ideas fit together.

2. Identify gaps in the research

3. Connect ideas with lines to show that they’re related.

4. Distill these relationships into major themes

5. Now determine which theme makes the most sense to discuss first, and which theme will most
logically follow.

6. Beneath each theme, begin to list sub-topics.

 Generic Topic Outline for Chapter One:

I. Introduction
A. Identify the topic
B. Establish importance of topic
i. Number of people affected
ii. Impact on individuals or particular group
C. Define key terms
D. Describe the extent and nature of literature
E. Identify gaps in literature
F. Provide an overview of the organization of your literature review. (In a research paper,
the thesis statement provides the overview.)
II. Discuss theories
A. Theory X
B. Theory Y

Possible Generic Outline for Literature Review

I. Overview
II. Brief historical context
III. Landmark or seminal studies (those establishing seeds for later studies)
IV. Inclusion/exclusion criteria for literature review
V. Theme One
a. Prominent findings (synthesized)
b. Theoretical discussion
c. Relevance to current study
VI. Theme Two
a. Prominent findings (synthesized)
b. Theoretical discussion
c. Relevance…
VII. Theme Three
a. Prominent findings (synthesized)
b. Theoretical discussion
c. Relevance to current study
 Sample Outline for Literature Review:

I. Bereavement
a. Consequences and Course of Bereavement
i. Emotional Distress of bereavement
ii. Physiological Distress of bereavement and mortality
iii. Social ramifications of bereavement
b. The Transition and Outcome of Bereavement
i. Individual characteristics
ii. Situational factors or circumstances of loss
iii. Environmental influences on loss
II. Meaning
a. Philosophical perspectives on meaning
b. Psychological perspectives on meaning
c. The role of meaning in adaptation to bereavement
d. Other benefits of meaning-making
III. Growth and positive transformation in response to loss
i. Types of change
ii. Meaning, change and bereavement: Specific studies
IV. Summary